Friday, July 11, 2014

Simplicity 1366 by Cynthia Rowley, Paisley Top.

Simplicity 1366, Cynthia Rowley

Woven summer tops were really underrepresented in my closet and when I saw this pattern made up by Beth, I loved it so much, I knew I had to make my own.
I think this might be my perfect summer top pattern. It is relaxed and uncomplicated yet more interesting and a bit dressier than a plain t-shirt. It also protects my upper chest and shoulders from the sun which is a major priority for me. I love it so much, I made 3 in a row! I'll try to get pictures of the other two before we go on vacation next week.

Simplicity 1366, Cynthia Rowley

This one is made of a very fine rayon. The neckband detail you see is actually the bias facing which was supposed to be turned under and topstitched. But after pressing it up, I really liked how it looked so I decided to keep it that way. I think this gives the blouse just the finishing touch it needed. I used jersey bias tape for this as I find it works well with fine fabrics and it turned out to be a very good choice because I love the look of knit neckbands on woven tops, as in this Suno look I pinned. And the fact that the color is slightly off makes it more interesting in my opinion.
The blouse is finished with french seams and very narrow hems.

Simplicity 1366, Cynthia Rowley

I made no alterations to the pattern and I must say, I really love the fit of the Cynthia Rowley patterns I've used so far! Of course dropped shoulder styles like this should not be very complicated to fit, but it's very rare for me not to have to make some sort of alteration to the upper bust/shoulder area.

Simplicity 1366, Cynthia Rowley

We took these pictures near the river where it can get pretty windy, and it was very difficult to get pictures where the blouse wasn't billowing like sails and my hair wasn't absolutely all over the place. I picked the pictures with the fewer fly-aways ;)

29 comments:

I love this, Sara. I've been eyeing a similar top, with wider sleeves and drop shoulders, in linen: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/388928117793414880/ You might have found the perfect pattern for this. I like your choice regarding the neckline too.

Thank you Stephanie! I really like your inspiration top. It actually looks a whole lot like a top I sewed for my daughter but it was in children's sizes. The pattern is #149 from the November 2012 issue of Burdastyle and comes in sizes 128 to 152.

That's so interesting. I'm going to have to check back to that Burda issue! I would love to sew something similar but I already have so many things in my queue...I think I have to stop and make them in sequence else I will be on to autumn sewing with a stack of unused summer fabric. Incidentally, if you don't mind sharing, I would love to know how you pre-treat rayon. I haven't worked with rayon as I'm always afraid of how it will react and I like to wash rather than dry clean it. Thanks!

Except for lined jackets and coats, I only sew clothes I can wash. I've never had problems pre-washing rayon. It does shrink and can feel stiff when wet, so don't let that worry you. I let it air dry. I've had a few experiences with rayon jersey pilling in the drier but I'm not sure if it would be bad for woven rayons or not.

Thanks, Sara. I think I just have bad memories of cheap rayon clothing that I had when I was younger that didn't respond well to washing. Although come to think of it I use bemberg as lining all the time and that is rayon...

I LOVE this top! It is quite possibly the nicest paisley I have ever seen. The fabric is just lovely! And I love the style. Looks super chic with the jeans and that blue looks beautiful with your complexion. Your hair actually looks a similar colour to my eldest daughter (which I think is just magic!) but I can't seem to get photographs to highlight the pretty coppery tones in it.

Lovely top! I've just discovered your blog via my blogfeed - what beautiful things you've made! I also recognize some of the sights of Bordeaux - I too am an Anglophone who lives and sews in Bordeaux! Best, Laüra

I've met a few people that sew, just by chance - though none as passionately as you it seems! I don't have a blog (lack of time). I came back to sewing last year after a break (young children + full-time job + small house = sewing frustration), though I used to post on pattern review when I was younger: http://sewing.patternreview.com/members/Mlle%20Laura. A lot of my reviews seem to have disappeared though.How long have you lived in France? Feel free to email me, I love to talk about sewing!

I'm so glad to see this post, Sara, as I've been keeping an eye out for a woven summer top pattern that's not sleeveless and has some upper chest coverage. Of course, your fabric and styling choices always make everything look extra good.